Juventus thrashes Hellas Verona to reach Coppa Italia quarterfinals

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Juventus demolished Hellas Verona 6-1 to reach the Italian Cup quarterfinals on Thursday and remain on course for a league and cup double in Massimiliano Allegri's first season in charge.

Sebastian Giovinco scored twice and won a penalty, which Alvaro Morata converted in front of a sell-out crowd. Roberto Pereyra, Paul Pogba and substitute Kingsley Coman also netted for Juventus, while Nene grabbed a consolation for Verona.

Juventus, which tops Serie A, will meet bottom club Parma on Jan. 28. Along with Roma, Juventus holds the record for most Italian Cup victories, but its ninth and last title was in 1995.

Giovinco got Juventus off to the perfect start with a 25-yard free kick, to which Rafael got only a glancing hand.

Pereyra doubled Juve's lead, dummying past Guillermo Rodriguez before a lovely finish into the far side of the net for his first goal for the club.

Verona rarely threatened, and Giovinco completed his brace in first-half stoppage time. Stephan Lichtsteiner squared the ball across the goalmouth, and the Italy forward was on hand to tap in for his fifth goal in his past six Italian Cup matches.

After the break, Pogba bundled the ball home eight minutes in, after it rebounded off a defender and took an awkward bounce.

Verona reduced the deficit when Nene got the final touch on Rafa Marquez's glancing header, although the ball was probably going in anyway.

Juventus restored its four-goal advantage six minutes later after Giovinco was tripped by Marquez, and Morata fired the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner.

Coman added the icing on the cake with a stunning strike which crashed off the underside of the crossbar. It was the 18-year-old's first goal for the club.